A common saying in an Indian household — one that’s got nothing to do with a sense of conservatism – is do anything you wish to but don’t end up in a criminal court. Or at the gates of law!

Not a good idea.

This has got nothing to do with lawyers being devilish or the world’s largest democracy being engulfed in crime all the time. Rather, legal procedures are slow to resolve matters. And resolving conflict through an archaic set of laws can do a lot more damage than just grey the hair of both innocents and commoners.

Thankfully, we have a sequel once again poking fun at the legal system.

As a second installment, Jolly LLB 2 holds up well. It’s an action-packed laugh-riot about the sheer absurdities and criminalities concerning the state of law in India and how those with murky connections try to pull off a big deal or two.

The film unspools with fine direction, tons of slapstick, and bright storytelling. And it’s done with such artfulness that four controversial scenes had to be cut.

While the first Jolly LLB (2014) made audiences fall off their seats in laughter, the second one may have even added more charm to the legal comedy franchise by bringing Akshay Kumar over Arshad Warsi in the title role.

Jolly is a fun character, an unassuming lawyer who’s always surprising detractors in his quest for fair play. In the second go-around, Akshay delivers a touch of newfound confidence to a character that otherwise would’ve just been a good-natured guy waiting endlessly for justice.

Jolly LLB 2 fictionalizes police corruption and the toll it can take on the public. A lot is at stake in this tale that sees hero Jolly be at the center of a legal storm, going beyond the call of a lawyer’s duty to help a deceased Muslim woman get posthumous justice for the murder of her husband, the fall guy executed by a police officer.

Tears are shed, serious dialogues keep the tongue-in-cheek humor from overflow, and a strong narrative keeps Jolly LLB 2 on the right celluloid path.

Why an innocent Muslim man is killed, and on what basis can the police defend themselves against a gory crime, forms the basis of some great acting.

We won’t reveal the intricacies so as to maintain the thrill and your interest in a film that’s simply not to be missed.

There’s some strong method acting by a league of very fine and established Indian actors, that give Jolly’s wagon wheel a strong, dependable chassis;

Saurabh Shukla as the eminent Judge administering Jolly’s case is the secret ingredient of the film’s success, perhaps the best role of his life;

Anu Kapoor as the public prosecutor, standing opposite Akshay Kumar’s Jolly is funny and argues with elan;

Small roles handled with promise by industry experts such as Brijesh Kale, the legal administrator who opposes Jolly from getting his legal chamber, and Sanjay Mishra as the elusive middleman who leads Jolly to a key file relating to a witness, add powerful undercurrents to a tense legal drama often saved by tons of wit and wry humor.

This isn’t a landmark flick; it won’t change the view that our country has a washed-up legal system with millions of cases still lying unfinished – with only few thousands of lawyers fighting them.

But the 2 hour and 10 minute film keeps you in good spirits and involved. And by the time it’s over you feel not all is lost in India… that there’s a chance to correct some legal woes.

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